Version approved AGM 9 June 2021
1: Name and Status
1-01: The name of the society is the European Cystic Fibrosis Society (ECFS).
1-02: The ECFS is an independent society that elects its own officers.
1-03: The society may opt to work together with EU and non-European learned organisations, provided that the independence of the ECFS is assured.
1-04: The official language of the ECFS is English.
2: Objective
2-01: The objective of the ECFS is to facilitate the acquisition and distribution of knowledge and research in the field of cystic fibrosis. To further this objective:
2-01-01: The ECFS will organise an annual European Cystic Fibrosis Conference.
2-01-02: The secretariat of the ECFS will maintain an updated address list of European CF (Cystic Fibrosis) centres and individuals involved in CF issues to facilitate the cooperation and exchange of scientific or educational information.
2-01-03: The ECFS may form special project or working groups for any purpose related to the objective of the society. Such sub-groups will be appointed and approved by the ECFS Board and their members are expected to be ECFS members. While special projects are not subject to a pre-defined term of existence, working groups will be supported for 1 year and up to a maximum of 3 years. Annual reports from these sub-groups will be presented at the summer Board meeting and at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
2-01-04: The ECFS may facilitate or contribute to research projects on cystic fibrosis.
2-01-05: The ECFS may support young scientists who submit research to the annual conferences.
3: Membership
3-01: Active membership is open to anyone with a qualified professional interest in CF research or CF clinical care. Active membership provides the right to stand for membership of the Board, to nominate candidates for the Board, participate in sub-groups, and vote on any ECFS issues. Exceptions:
3-01-01: Commercial companies, non-professional and lay organisations and their representatives can become corporate members without voting rights although where appropriate may be included in the consultation process.
3-01-02: All registered participants in the most recent annual ECFS conference will be automatically considered as correspondent members (e.g. receive news letters) until the next ECFS conference. Such members will have no vote in ECFS affairs.
3-02: None of the association’s members shall be liable for the association’s obligations.
4. Administration
4-01: The ECFS is governed by a Board which is to consist of a President and 7 ordinary Board Members. The Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer are appointed from within the elected Board members, and will be part of the Executive Committee. The Directors of the approved special project groups (such as the ECFS Clinical Trials Network, ECFS Patient Registry, and ECFS Standards of Care) and the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis are co-opted voting members of the Board. The ECFS Conference Chairperson will be invited to attend Board meetings in a non-voting capacity.
4-02: Members who want to be considered for a Board position must be professionaly active in clincial care and/or clinical or basic research in the field of CF.
4-03: The ECFS Board are accountable to the membership but entrusted to make the right decisions for the Society.
4-04: The officers of the Board shall represent different European countries and the various major disciplines of CF. The officers of the Board are collectively responsible for the conduct of the business of the ECFS. The Board will have no more than 2 elected members from one country.
4-05: At the start of a new presidency, the Board will elect a Vice President from among their number. The Vice President will chair meetings which the President cannot attend. If the President is unable to continue in office, the Vice President will take over the presidency until an election can be held.
4-06: On the departure of an Executive Committee Officer, the President will nominate another Board Member to fill the position, a selection that the rest of the Board must approve.
4-07: Terms of Office:
4-07-01: Regular members of the Board are elected by the Society’s Membership for a period of 3 years.
4-07-02: In a President’s final year in office, the President Elect will also form part of the Board.
4-07-03: The immediate past President is an ad hoc member (without a vote) of the Board for one year following the end of his presidential term.
4-07-04: The Directors of special project groups are nominated from within their members for a 3 year term. Such nominations are subject to approval by the ECFS Board.
4-07-05: The Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis is appointed by the ECFS Board for a 4-year term with the possibility of an extension of 2 years by mutual agreement with the ECFS Board. The Editor-in-Chief will be expected to attend a least one Board meeting annually.
4-07-06: The ECFS Conference Chairperson will be invited to the summer Board meeting one year prior to the Conference (June -1 year), the summer Board meeting held in conjunction with the conference, and the winter Board meeting following the conference.
4-08: No Board member can stand for election for more than two consecutive terms of office. A past Board member may, after a minimum of 3 years, be eligible for re-election for a Board position. No one should be on the Board for more than 6 consecutive years. This restriction does not apply to the position of President.
4-08-01: Board Elections: When a Board position becomes vacant, the ECFS will call for the nomination of suitable candidates from within the ECFS membership. All active members are eligible to be considered for a Board position.
4-08-02: Candidate information will be sent to the membership 2 months prior to the Annual General Meeting.
4-08-03: The election votes will be processed via a protected online facility and will be only be available to active members with a valid password. The count of the votes will be made prior to the AGM by members of the ECFS Office, and verified by an ECFS Board member.
4-09: Terms of Reference for Board Members:
4-09-01: The President: Responsible for the overall administration and control of the ECFS, and as such will call and chair Board meetings at regular intervals (minimum three times a year) and an Annual General Meeting. If there is equal voting in specific business matters, the President's vote is decisive.
4-09-02: The Vice President will support and deputise for the President when required and share the portfolio duties of the President.
4-09-03: The Secretary: Responsible for the preparation of the agenda and minutes for Board meetings & Annual General Meetings. The incumbent is also the point of contact for membership and annual awards. The ECFS Office will augment this position by the provision of administrative services.
4-09-04: The Treasurer: Responsible for providing the Board and Annual General Assembly with up to date information on the Society’s financial status. The ECFS Office will augment this position by the provision of accurate and audited accounts.
4-09-05: Ordinary Board Members: Responsible for providing support and advice to the Board on areas of a specific nature of expertise.
4-09-06: Directors of the Special Projects: Responsible for contributing to the Board’s deliberations within their field of expertise, and for providing status reports on the activities of their projects.
4-09-07: ECFS Conference Chairperson: In conjunction with their support towards organising the next annual ECFS Conference, this position is responsible for reporting to the Board on the national contributions to the Conference.
4-09-08: President Elect: This member will become a member of the Board a year prior to taking over the Presidency in order to ensure a handover of tasks.
4-10: ECFS Journal: The Society will publish a journal called "Journal of Cystic Fibrosis". The Board will appoint the Editor-in-Chief of the journal on a four yearly basis. It will be the duty of the Editor to be responsible for the day to day running of the journal, to appoint and oversee an editorial board, and in coordination with the Publisher, to publish the journal on a regular basis.
4-11: Executive Director: The Board may appoint a permanent Executive Director who will be responsible for running the everyday business of the Society together with any additional duties mentioned in the job description for the post that was agreed at time of appointment. The Executive Director will attend all Board meetings in a non-voting capacity and will present an annual report of the state of the Society to the Board. In the absence of an Executive Director, the running of the everyday business of the Society will devolve to members of the Board Executive.
4-12: The ECFS is aware that there are other organisations whose activities may, in CF terms, overlap with those of the ECFS and that close cooperation with such organisations would be beneficial to both the ECFS and such organisations. The Board of the ECFS can invite a representative of such an organisation to attend the Board meeting as a non-voting member where cooperative ventures are mutually beneficial.
5: The Annual General Meeting (AGM)
5-01: The President of the ECFS will chair the AGM. The AGM is traditionally held in conjunction with the annual European CF Conference. Precise time, place and agenda of the AGM will be sent to the membership in advance. The agenda will include the presentation of the annual reports from the President, the Secretary and the Honorary Treasurer. Additional Reports will be provided by:
- The Special Project Directors.
- The ECFS Working Groups
- The Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis.5-02: Proposals for agenda topics or changes to the Constitution are to be forwarded to the ECFS Office three months before the AGM.
5-03: As appropriate, the results of Board Elections will be announced.
5-04: Any change to the annual subscription fee for members of the ECFS proposed by the Board is subject to endorsement at the AGM.
5-05: Only active members, identified by a current membership card, may vote at the AGM.
6: Finance
6-01: The fiscal year of the ECFS is January 1 - December 31.
6-02: The ECFS activities will be financed through subscriptions, subsidies, and sponsorships.
6-03: An annual subscription will be levied per member. These fees will contribute to the administration of the ECFS and to the member’s subscription to the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. The membership subscription covers a calendar year of January to December. Regardless of the time of joining, the same subscription will be charged. The membership fee will not be reimbursable if an individual chooses to leave the ECFS within the subscription period.
6-04: ECFS business commitments are bound by the signature of an executive Board member (President, Secretary or Treasurer) and the signature of one other Board member. The Board can authorise one person to sign on behalf of the Society.
6-05: The Secretariat of the ECFS will be responsible for maintaining the accounts demonstrating income and expenditures, assets and liabilities. The annual accounts will be subject to independent audit by an accredited accountant and will be presented to the Annual General Meeting.
7: Termination
7-01: In the event that dissolution of the ECFS becomes necessary, a special General Meeting will decide by majority vote of those present on the distribution of the ECFS assets (in coordination with the Treasurer) and in accordance with the objective mentioned in 2-01. The calling of such a General Meeting will be made known to the entire membership at a minimum 1 month in advance, and will, when circumstances allow, normally follow the Annual General Meeting.
The original Constitution was approved by the annual general meeting in Davos, June 4th 1997.
There was a name change from European Society of Cystic Fibrosis to European Cystic Fibrosis Society approved at the annual general meeting in Berlin, June 18th 1998.
The current version of the constitution was approved by the AGM held in Belek 2007 during the 30th ECFS Conference, and modified at the AGM in Prague, 11th June 2008, at the AGM in Hamburg 8th June 2011, at the AGM in Dublin 6th June 2012, at the AGM in Gothenburg 11th June 2014 and at the AGM held online 9th June 2021.